HELP - Phrag spikes browning AGAIN.

[mayres]

I sure hope someone has the answer for my phrag. I only have one - Phrag. Longueville (Hanne Popow 'Charmer' X longifolium 'Gracille') - sorry Kevin if this is spelled incorrectly but it came on my tag like this.
The first year I purchased it I put it in my office window with two spikes - both buds browned without opening. I put it under fluorescent lights at home and it apparently didn't get enough light intensity to bloom. This spring I put it outside with the rest of my outdoor orchids and I was excited to see two spikes again. I brought all my orchids indoors about two weeks ago due to inclement fall/winter weather arriving and now one of the buds has again turned brown. I'm bummed. Any ideas? How do I keep the second bud from also turning brown? I would love to see what this plant's flowers look like.
Thanks - Mike

[arleneg]

Mike,

Could it be a sudden change of environment?? I'm just guessing since I've heard about buds not blooming could be due to that.

Anyway, I found this pic on the 'net. It's a very nice plant you have there. I've been thinking about buying one of those.

http://www.slipperorchid.com/other_o...lle_Free_1.jpg

[WIB]

Phrags are said to be very sensitive to salt build-up in the water. Are you using collected rainwater, distilled water, or reverse-osmosis water? If not, washing the medium thoroughly with one of these may help. I'm fairly careful to wash mine out between fertilizer applications. (I'm not sure of this, as I think the browning is more typically at the tips of leaves, but it may be a factor.)

[kmarch]

Mike, I read your post above shortly after you posted it and have been thinking about it quite a bit. Of all the Phrags I've grown (approx 70 different Phrags both hybrids and species) I've never had this happen except with one, Phrag xerophyticum. I never did figure out why the xerophyticum spikes blasted.

I've seen plants with blasting spikes similar to yours in nurseries but I'm not exactly sure what caused it. I suspect one of 2 possibilities: 1) too cold or 2) too dry.

How cold was the plant getting at night? Was the spike ever wet and cold at the same time or possibly cold with really high humidity? What about water? Are you keeping it wet? Is it drying out?

[bellina9]

I have a few phrags and one of them is pretty sensitive to anything. I dont know much about phrags, but I've been doing some research to figure out what to do with mine. I read that some are very sensitive to the heat. I know I had an ONC that had bud blast from the heat like after 3 days in a west window. If you go to the slipper orchid forums they might have alot more info

Hope this helps!

[mayres]

As this is the only phrag I have ever owned I keep wondering if it is the genus in general that doesn't like me or just this particular plant!
The first time I had the problem - again I had it in my work office environment - sitting in a saucer of approxiately 1/2 inch water - watered from the top weekly. Temp was essentially constantly in the 70 -75 degree range.
This time, I brought it in from outside two weeks ago and put it on my orchid stand with fluorescent lights to watch it finish budding and blooming (or so I hoped). I have been cooling the room down to high fifties or low 60's at night and then low 70's during the day - mainly for my phals. I have been watering from the top a few times per week and it is sitting on rocks which have a little water over them. Yes, humidity has probably been quite high the past few weeks - maybe 60-70's (just the opposite of my air conditioned office environent).
These two blooming periods are quite different yet I seem to be getting the same results. I'm starting to wonder if phrags are not for me?
How cold is too cold and how dry is too dry? Thanks for your comments.........

[kmarch]

Id say anything colder than about 55F (12-13C) is too cold and anything drier than Paph/Phal evenly moist is too dry.